Warplane



Feb. 29, 1944. ZERANGUE 2,342,779

WAR PLANE Filed Oct. 14, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor JVZQJ/ J Zara/jae Feb. 29, 1944.

N. J. ZERANGUE WAR PLANE S Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 14, 1941 Inventor JVZQ/ 'zeraw/aae A Home 1944- N. J. ZERANGUE WAR PLANE Filed Oct. 14, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor Attorney F eb. 29, 1944.

N. J, ZERANGUE WAR PLANE Inventor Feb. 29, 1944. N. .1. ZERANGUE WAR PLANE Filed Oct. 14, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor Patented Feb. 29, 1944 UNITE D STAT iWi i il'. N "i" G F F EC E VIARBIJANE Nealll; Zerantgue, Newflrleans, La.

Applicationflctcber'l i, 1941, Scrialhlo'. 114,941 aoiaimsl (o1. 244-83) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in aeronautics and more. particularly to animproved fighter plane.

The principal object of the present invention is,- to provide a plane employing the pusher principle of propulsion.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an. aircraft of the combat type whereina forward section of the plane is directionally controllable to the end that the entire plane will take the course defined'bya lin'e on which the main armament is sighted.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a top plan view with a portion broken away.

Figure 2 is a side elevational View.

Figure 3 is a top plan view and horizontal section showing how the front wing assembly is jointed to the fuselage.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view vertically through the structure shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figur 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 7--1 of Figure 4.

Figure 8 i a sectional view taken substantially on line 88 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that numeral 5 generally refers to the forward wing section of the aircraft, this being universally connected to the fuselage, the latter being generally referred to by numeral 6. The fuselage 6 has a raised windowed cabin dome 1.

Numeral 8 denotes a propeller, this being located at the tail of the fuselage and operation acts as a pusher for the aircraft.

At both sides of the tail portion of the fuselage 6 are wings 9. These wings 9 are connected by shafts l extending through the tail portion of the fuselage and also by a section l l of the lower portion of the fuselage 5. Brackets i2, i2 are provided in the fuselage for supporting this shafts ii! and the wings. One or both of the wings 9 may have a link member 53 extending to a bell crank M. which in turn is connected to a rod or cable line extending to a control lever 16. Under some conditions the wings 9 may be used in flight, but the adjustability of these wingsis preferably restricted to use in landing.

Streamlined legs I1 depend from the wings 9 and carry ground riding wheels i8.

A single leg is depends from the forward portion of the fuselage B and is suitably streamlined. A wheel 23 is at the lower end of this leg and a control or steering shaft 2| extends upwardly from this wheel to a steering wheel or the like 22 located in the forward end portion of the fuselage 6.

The steerable section 5' at the forward end of the fuselage has its wing structures 23; 23 equipped with ailerons 24,, 24. and from these I extend shaft 25, 25 provided with pulleys 26 at their inner ends.

The wings 9, 9 are equipped with ailerons 27, 2'! having a shaft 23 extending therefrom and equipped with pulleys 29 at their inner ends.

Cables 33 extend over these pulleys 2t and 29 and to suitable foot pedals or the like 3!. Thus, the ailerons may be eficiently controlled.

The means for steering the front section 5 of the aircraft is generally referred to by numeral 32 and is clearly shown in Figures 3, 4, 6 and '7.

As shown in Figure 6, the control means 32 consists of a frame 33, preferably of square shape and having upper and lower arcuate-shaiped channeled guides 34, 34 suitably mounted thereon, these guides extending longitudinally of the ship.

Within the confines of the frame 33 is an annulus 35 having upwardly and downwardly disposed trunnions 33 which are disposed in the channeled guides 34, 34. The annulus 35 mounted in this manner is free to oscillate on a horizontal axis with its trunnions 36 riding the guides 34, or to be oscillated on a vertical axis in which instance the trunnions 36, 36 would be on the axial line.

Horizontal and vertical cross-bars 3'1, 38 are provided in the annulus 35 and carry wheelhaped hand engageable structures 33, 39 which are used in facilitating operation of the annulus.

Attention is now directed to Figure 4 wherein a wall ti) can be seen in the forward portion of the cut-out part Q! of the steerable section 5 into which the forward end portion of the fuselage E fits. As shown in Figure 7, the forward end portion of the fuselage 6 has a pair of vertically spaced substantially half-disc wall sections 2, 42 in which are upper and lower openings 43, through which control rods 44, 45 extend. The control rods i t, 45 are connected by ball and socket joints it to the upper and lower ends, respectively, of the vertical crossmember 38 of the annulus 35, the same extending forwardly through the openings 43 to connect the upper and lower portions of the wall 40 of the plane section by ball and socket joints 41, 41.

Connected to the ends of the cross-member 31 by ball and socket joints 48 are rods 49, 50 which extend through the space between the wall sections 42, 42 and connect to horizontally spaced portions of the wall 40 by ball and socket connections 5|.

Obviously, the forward section 5 of the aircraft will be moved or steered in a direction corresponding to the positioning of the annulus 35.

A cannon of high calibre machine gun 52 is mounted in the extreme forward portion of the section 5 and also rearmament 53 may be spaced off laterally from this piece 52.

An arm or bracket 54 extends rearwardly and upwardly from the uppermost portion of the annulus 35 and supports a sight 55.

In the operation of the machine, it canrbe seen that not only is the ship steered toward the objective, but the ship is actually controlled coordinately with the aiming of the gun 52. In other words, aiming of gun 52 and steering of the ship are coincident. A form of universal connection is provided between the nose 5 and fuselage 6, and comprises a block 60 vertically through which a pin 6| is disposed. A horizontal pin or shaft 62 on the nose 5 passes through the forward end of the block 6i).

Vertical fins 55 may be provided on the wings 23, 23.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An aircraft of the character described comprising a forward wing provided steerable section, a fuselage, steering means for the section operative in the fuselage, said steering means consisting of a frame having upper and lower channeled guides, an annulus disposed in the frame and provided with upwardly and downwardly extending trunnions disposed in the guides, and control lines extending from the annulus at circumferentially spaced intervals and being connected to the said steerable section.

2. In an airplane, a fuselage, a forward steerable wing provided section mounted on said fuselage for swinging movement about right angularly related axes, and steering means for swinging said section comprising a vertical frame fixed in the fuselage, an annulus, means to mount the annulus in the plane for sliding tilting movement therein about a horizontal axis and for swinging about an axis at a right angle to said horizontal axis, and rods universally connected to the annulus at degree intervals and similarly connected to said section.

NEAL J. ZERANGUE. 

